Most common 2003 Ford F-150 problems
Share of the 423 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford F-150 complaints by model year
Best F-150 years: 1996, 2009, 2008. Years to avoid: 2018, 2013, 2016, 2012, 2021. Compare all years →
2003 Ford F-150 recalls (4)
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly › Mounting
Ford is recalling certain 1997 through 2003 model year Ford f-150, 2004 model year Ford f-150 heritage, 1997 through 1999 model year f-250 less than 8,500 lbs. Gross vehicle weight rating (gvwr), and 2002 and 2003 Lincoln blackwood vehicles manufactured from June 20, 1995, through August 4, 2004, originally sold, or currently…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners and instruct them to take their vehicles to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have the fuel tank straps replaced with straps that have increased corrosion protection.
Vehicle speed control
On certain pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, and motor homes chassis, the speed control deactivation switch May, under certain conditions, leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
Remedy: Dealers will install a fused wiring harness. Owners of the passenger cars included in this campaign will be instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected…
Vehicle speed control
On certain trucks equipped with speed control, gasoline or natural gas engines, the speed control deactivation switch May overheat.
Remedy: Dealers will install a fused wiring harness into the speed control system free of charge. The recall began on March 12, 2007. Owners May contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673. (note: also see recalls 05V017, 05V388, and 06V286)
Steering › Gear box › Shaft pitman
On certain pickup trucks, the pitman arm to steering gear retaining nut was not fully tightened to the required specification.
Remedy: Dealers will tighten the pitman arm retaining nut to specifications. Owner notification began on October 1, 2003. Owners should contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2003 Ford F-150:
Cng regulator leak
The agency has closed this investigation based on its review of complaint reports, discussions with complainants and field and technical data provided by Ford.the subject vehicles are 1/2 ton pickup trucks and are natural gas vehicles (ngv) that are fueled by gasoline or compressed natural gas.the agency has received reports alleging improper operation of the natural gas fuel pressure regulator allowing release of…
Fuel Tank Strap Failure Due to Corrosion
One or both of the steel straps holding up the fuel tank and attaching it to the truck frame can corrode and fail (break or separate).If one strap fails, the tank may tilt and drop and possibly contact the road surface.If both straps break, the entire tank may drop to the road.If either failure occurs while the vehicle is being driven, contact with the road can abrade the tank and create a hole from which gasoline…
Spark plug ejection from cylinder head
On September 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 Ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or…
What 2003 Ford F-150 owners say
Engine & cooling all 97 →
I moved my vehicle from driveway to park on the street so my husband could park in the driveway. I then turned my vehicle off and roughly 2 hours later, a lady came screaming "fire fire fire!" I went to see where she was talking about and my truck was smoking under the hood, I then called the fire department and they came to extinguish the fire. I was unaware of any recalls as I am the 3rd owner of this vehicle.
On 11/27/2022 at or around 4:30 P.M. my 2003 Ford F-150 burned almost completely, without any mechanical failures or warnings, thirty full minutes after being parked and then after only having been run for three to four miles. The fire department ended up putting it out before it was fully consumed.
Transmission & drivetrain all 62 →
Ford placed a decal on the rear differential that wraps all the way around the axle. This decal holds water and has caused any area touching the decal to rust excessively. Ford has told me that this will cause they rear differential fail. When this happens it will likely be when I'm driving with my wife and two young kids. The only way to know that this issue exists is to either get under the truck and remove the decal which causes and also covers the damage, or to have the axle give out while driving. This was recently discovered while working on the vehicle. I don't currently have pictures as the vehicle is in for other repairs, but I can get pictures once I get the vehicle back.
UNKNOWN - however there were NO warning lights or any other indication of malfunction or to service the truck. I took the truck to an independent service center & they did a full inspection & I did receive an estimate for repairs.
Electrical system all 47 →
The contact owns a 2003 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and turned off for approximately an hour, they were suddenly informed that their vehicle had caught fire. When the contact arrived at the vehicle the fire department had already arrived and extinguished the fire. There was a police report was filed that stated that the fire was caused by wiring in the engine compartment. There were no injuries or medical assistance. There was damage to a nearby vehicle, fence, tree, and surrounding grounds. The vehicle had been towed and deemed totaled. The contact had later learned of NHTSA Campaign Number: 05V017000 (Vehicle Speed Control) however the vehicle had never been repaired for the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 250,000.
I moved my vehicle from driveway to park on the street so my husband could park in the driveway. I then turned my vehicle off and roughly 2 hours later, a lady came screaming "fire fire fire!" I went to see where she was talking about and my truck was smoking under the hood, I then called the fire department and they came to extinguish the fire. I was unaware of any recalls as I am the 3rd owner of this vehicle.
2003 Ford F-150 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.2L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 4.2L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 15 / 19 / 16 |
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 4.2L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 18 / 16 |
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 14 / 18 / 15 |
| 5.4L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 13 / 17 / 15 |
| 4.2L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 17 / 15 |
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 17 / 15 |
| 5.4L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 18 / 15 |
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 17 / 14 |
| 5.4L 8-cyl supercharged | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 11 / 15 / 13 |
EPA ratings. Class: Full-size pickup.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Ford F-150 a good car?
Based on 423 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2003 F-150 rates better than average: 65% fewer complaints than a typical year of the F-150 at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2003 Ford F-150?
The engine & cooling — 97 complaints, 23% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (62) and electrical system (47).
How many recalls does the 2003 Ford F-150 have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2003 Ford F-150, the most recent from July 29, 2011 (mounting). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Ford F-150?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 1996, 2009 and 2008. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2018, 2013, 2016, 2012 and 2021. See the full Ford F-150 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2003 Ford F-150 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 64,000 miles; 39% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.